To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Pesky Tree Rats
Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2005 12:35:56 -0500
At 08:04 PM 4/4/2005, you wrote:
CHARLIE,
A #1 CONNIBEAR TRAP IS USED MAINLY TO CATCH MUSKRATS AND MINK. . THE
ANIMAL PASSES THROUGH, OR CAN BE BAITED. WHEN THE TRAP IS SPRUNG IT
BREAKS THE ANIMAL'S NECK. THESE ARE EFFECTIVE FOR SQUIRREL RUNWAYS
.
My dad used to use big Conibear traps for
beaver. Very effective, and, I'd say pretty humane - if that's a
concern for you.
Don't know that I could identify a squirrel 'runway', but one
strategy I've seen recommended, but never tried was to fasten two boards
together at right angles, and affix to the tree, with one 'leg' of this
"L"-shaped apparatus sticking out 3 ft or so from the tree
trunk, with a big Victor type rat trap fastened out at the end. A
squirrel evidently can't resist running down the tree(in this case, a big
tree, like the oaks/maples in your yard or adjacent woods) and out to the
end of the plank, to see what's out there. A baited trap would
catch them, but I suppose if you had some way of positioning the Conibear
so that Brer Bushytail had to pass through it in order to get to the bait
out at the far end of the plank, you'd be assured of eliminating
him.
Lucky Pittman
USDA Cold Zone 6
AHS Heat Zone 7
Hopkinsville, KY